Sayonara
by Sweet Ruby Moon
Summary: Upon watching the departure of an old acquaintance, the Lord of the Western Lands realizes there are some bonds even time cannot break... and some wounds it cannot heal. Oneshot fanfic with spoilers from eps. 124.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha and/or its characters. Seriously, I own nothing, not even my sanity. It ran away from me the moment I started to write this story. Ah well. o.o;

_Sayonara_  
  
_By Sweet Ruby Moon_

The swing of a sword. A blast of sheer energy. A counterstrike.

Laughter filled the air. The atmosphere was dim and cold, so much that one could not tell day and night apart, and the heavens had been dyed with an unusual shade of lavender. The sky-high mount, which used to be a place to soothe the restless spirits of departed beings had turned into a blazing battlefield, and its naturally pure, serene surface had been tainted with the impious touch of poison and death.

_If there was one  
Just one wish…_

Amber eyes narrowed in anger at the sinister skies, regarding with clear distaste the fading forms of an all-too familiar villain. The shady man nearly shook with evil laughter, shattered parts of his body - or what was left of it - rejoining their original spots like pieces of a wicked puzzle.

He disappeared. Hints of poisonous miasma still filled Sesshoumaru's nostrils and brought chilling, disgusted shivers up his spine. Toukijin was still heated up from the previous charge, which had been anything but effective, much to the lord of the West's dismay. His flaming stare kept fixed upon the fleeing fiend, his mind struggling to find whatever self-control he still possessed. It seemed like an impossible task, though.

_"How impudent… He used I, Sesshoumaru, as a test for his new body, huh…?"_

Steps. Someone was coming his way, running swiftly like no human could. Sesshoumaru put his sword away and let it rest against his waist. The wind's shrill whistle blew through his silvery locks and pierced through his ears, yet his acute sense of hearing still managed to pick on the approaching sound of rough steps. His head turned sideways and a half-frown stamped his fine face; his sunset golden oculars had stumbled upon yet another enemy.

"Sesshoumaru…!" The man panted, his voice ragging. His attire was covered in dust and mud, and his silver mane was in utter disarray. Much like everyone else, he too probably had had a hard time struggling his way out of Mountain Hakureizan.

"Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru mentally sighed at that vision - he should expect no less from his half brother. "So you have survived after all."

"Bastard!" He spat, baring his fangs at the older youkai. "What are you doing here?"

"It seems that Naraku was far more interested in killing that woman than you." Sesshoumaru looked elsewhere and his eyes met a familiar weapon laying on the ground. It had been torn apart and split into two separate pieces…and the miko who had previously used it against Naraku, pushed down into hell's abyss.

"Kikyou's bow…?" Inuyasha gradually followed his brother's gaze. Amber oculars widened in shock and his heart went numb for a second at the sudden, unwanted realization. "Kikyou!"

_If there was one  
Just one wish that could be granted…  
What would I wish for?_

Sesshoumaru's gaze chased his brother as he rushed past him and knelt by the broken weapon, grabbing one of the halves with his claws. His façade remained calm, yet the demon lord was inwardly fighting the awkward whirlwind of emotions gradually consuming his being. That name… How could a single utterance like that render him so much distress, and an awful feeling of impotence? Why did it make his stone-built heart secretly ache and clench in sorrow? Could it be…?

His thoughts were interrupted. The growling sound of Inuyasha's bitter words served as an unwanted distraction, a nuisance to his ears. _Kikyou…Once again, you were the only one I failed to protect… _His brother's sentence played repeatedly in Sesshoumaru's mind, filling his very spirit with the burden of a feeling he believed to have buried deep inside the sands of his past: guilt.

Hostile winds ran through the demon lord's silvery locks, blowing his musings away from raw reality and forcing them back to the carefree days of half a century ago. Days he had so diligently erased from his memory for considering them a disgraceful stain on his reputation… Days when he still had a living heart, when the Lord of the West did not have much use for his mask of coldness… when he fell a victim of his own father's legacy…

When he developed unwelcome feelings for a human maiden.

She was powerful. She was beautiful. Each and every other demon sought her demise, desired that mystical jewel she was the guardian of. They all feared her, though. One human miko whose reputation alone was enough to keep armies of youkai away, the all mighty priestess that would annihilate any creature on her way with no hesitation, should she sense the slightest hint of youki emanating from them. He had to meet her, had to see for himself who was that special ningen with powers of a goddess… He had to be the one to bring her end crashing down upon her. That would add extra effect on his status as one of- if not the - strongest youkai in the whole Western area, after all.

Finding her village was no hard task. Sesshoumaru only needed to locate the priestess and let his talons slash her way to the next world. Out of respect for his father, he had made a promise to spare human lives when given the chance to finish them off, but Kikyou - he had heard a wounded serpent youkai mutter her name once - was no ordinary woman. She was a threat to the demon race and could become an even greater obstacle to overcome if her spiritual strength was not detained in early stages.

Amber oculars narrowed at the young maiden when they first ran into her. Her identity had been easily discovered, thanks to the miko garments she wore. He had foreseen that, powerful as she supposedly was, Kikyou would sense his aura lurking near her, and so she did. He never expected her to display such serene façade once she was face-to-face with the danger of a possible attack.

_"Are you after the Shikon no Tama as well, youkai?" _She aimed an arrow at him, should he try an assault. _"Go away before my arrow pierces through your heart."_

_"Don't be ridiculous, miko."_ He suppressed a satirical chuckle at that woman's guts. He would have leapt at her already, but in respect to his own vow, the taiyoukai would only allow himself to attack a human if they made the first move. _"Sesshoumaru has no use for such jewel. I have all the power I need."_

_"If your words are true, then I ask you to leave."_ She placed the arrow back into its quiver, lowered her bow and turned on her heels. _"I am done with you."_

_"Done?"_ He whispered as he watched her slender form gradually fade away in the distance. _"We are far from that, miko." _His tone held a tinge of frustration, though it was no reason to bother; there would be plenty of other opportunities to destroy that insolent wench.

_Where could you be right now?  
Who are you with right now?  
Looking up at the blue sky  
I whisper those questions._

Many moons passed by, and there was none in which the demon lord had not spared Kikyou a thought. She had clashed against all his expectations: she was peaceful instead of aggressive, merciful instead of pitiless… She would fire no arrows against demons if they were not to harass her, a code of honor that awfully resembled his own. All the rumors that had reached his ears, all the spiteful comments about that priestess… somehow, they all seemed like lies told by coward creatures who wished for her death, yet had not the courage to face the earthily goddess by themselves.

Sudden realization struck him. Sesshoumaru had been used. And he hated that.

His revenge would soon come tumbling down over the misfortunate youkai who had dared to use him as a pawn. Not only were they weaklings who needed a numinous gem in order to gain more power, but also cowardly insects dominated by the fear a single human spurred in their spirits. Well then. From that day on, Sesshoumaru had become Kikyou's sworn guardian. Those disgusting demons would never have the pleasure to kill the priestess, let alone get a hold of the jewel she protected. He would be her vigilant sentinel, keep a close eye on her and ward off any suspicious meddlers.

Perhaps he had kept himself a little too close to her, though.

_"…Miko…"_ The taiyoukai had spoken one night, one of the many when they would sit together and gaze at the stars, plunging into the depths of their own silence. Yes, words were rarely exchanged between the two, though Sesshoumaru made an exception that day, the slightest tinge of hesitation gracing his tone.

_"Hmm?"_ The raven-haired beauty turned to him with that ever so serene smile stamped on her face, a gesture that made Sesshoumaru flinch and force his look away from hers.

_"Do you…"_ He took a pause before continuing. In one rare occasion of his life, he lacked of proper words to express himself. _"…do you believe both evil and good lie inside every creature's heart…?"_

The priestess fell silent for a second or two and stared at him in awe, seemingly taken aback by his unexpected question. _"Well…That's one of the things I was taught during my training…"_ She cupped both hands over her chest and lowered her head in deep thought. _"The darkest of hearts can be purified, and the purest can be filled with hatred, for both, good and evil, lie deep inside their confines…"_

_"I assume you do believe it, then."_

_"Yes, I do. I've only seen once kind people turning into malicious beings, though…"_ Earth brown oculars were raised and shyly met golden. _"…Hopefully one day I'll witness the other way around."_

_"Perhaps…"_ He leaned closer and retook his speech, his tone lowering several octaves. _"…I could show you the other way around…"_

_"Perhaps…"_ A timid smile widened in Kikyou's face as she gradually realized what he was hinting at. _"I wonder who will ever be able to spur such good feelings in you, though, deep enough as to keep your youkai nature under control…"_

_"Then we share the same doubts, miko…"_ He averted his gaze once again as a quirky little smirk played in his lips. His horizon golden oculars widened slightly in awe at the sight of the shrine maiden resting her head on his creamy colored pelt, her ever so serene expression driving a peaceful rush through his being.

_"Call me Kikyou…"_

Sesshoumaru had not truly known himself until he had met her. It was by that time the lord of the Western Lands learned he had not only inherited his father's great power, but also his heart. A heart that felt compassionate toward humankind, a heart that cared for those helpless creatures… A heart that took into loving one of them. The irony was appalling, but the newly found object of his affections was the same priestess whom he had previously wished to slay, and he was gladly aware she returned his feelings.

Happiness would naturally flow whenever they were together, yet they were forced to hide their romance and pretend to be strangers. Should it become public, their relationship would be frowned upon. As a miko and protector of the Shikon no Tama, Kikyou was to remain pure and untouched, but she had been tainted with the love of a demon, just as much as he had been with hers. Sesshoumaru was not pleased with this, yet he looked forward to his furtive meetings with his beloved, having the moonlight as the only witness of their forbidden passion.

Every moon that graced the dim skies, Sesshoumaru gained new hints of humanity. Every new season to befall those lands, he grew fonder of the miko, his love for her further deepening. Promises were made and vows exchanged. A way to destroy the Shikon no Tama was to be found, and Kikyou would be released from the curse that chained her to an unearthly life. She would finally be able to shed her hood of purity and surrender completely to the demon lord's arms, to live like an ordinary woman, just as she had wanted.

_With you - you who were right at my side  
Are no longer here_

Parting, harsh as it might be, was made necessary. The clan of the cat youkai had charged against the Western Lands, and war had been declared. Kikyou never knew about the dangers he would have to go through, though; should the truth come to her knowledge, she would be likely to go with him, at the expense of her treasured life. For her own safety, Sesshoumaru was forced to tell a lie.

_"The demon exterminators village?"_ Her inquiring mahogany eyes grew wide with concern. _"What are you going there for?"_

_"Rumors say they might have discovered a way to demolish the Shikon no Tama." _His arms wrapped around her slender form in a comforting fashion. _"Should they be true, I'll rip that precious piece of information off the exterminators."_

_"I'll go with you."_

_"You are to remain here. Said rumors might turn out to be a trap set up by other youkai… I would not be surprised if this was an attempt to lure you into their deadly grip." _He tightened his embrace around her, placing a feather-light kiss on her forehead. _"Set your heart at rest, dearest miko. It should not take longer than three days. I shall return before you even have a chance to miss me."_

She had parted her mouth to protest, but his lips silenced her unspoken words when they came crashing down upon hers. He took his time to memorize the delightful taste of her kiss and the way her smooth, warm skin felt against his, pulling away from his beloved after a few moments. The saddened miko nodded in consent and watched as the taiyoukai's form gradually merged into the shadows of the forest, his ears picking on the whispering sound of her voice. _"Sesshoumaru…Be safe…"_

His promise was broken.

Days, weeks, months… War had taken much longer than Sesshoumaru had planned. Though strong as he was, the Lord of the Western Lands was only one warrior against a whole army of tricky opponents. Battles were far from being his biggest concern, though. His enemies were keeping him away from Kikyou, and to further worsen his agony, he could not tell her the true reason for his delay; even if he wished to do so, the priestess was miles away from the battlefield, and Jaken could not be counted on for such task - the toad creature would either stray from his path or die on the long way.

Warring times at last subsided for the Western domains. The cat youkai clan - better yet, what was left of it - had dispersed and Sesshoumaru immediately followed his way back to Kikyou's ever so lovely embrace. He yearned to be with her once again and hold her close, longed to get lost in the infinite beauty of her earth-brown pools, to bask in the freshness of her flowery scent and surrender, even if for just one second or two, to those wonderful feelings she had planted in him.

Instead, he found her grave.

Days of incessant searching had led him to that heart-wrenching result. Laying a few meters away from the shrine where the Shikon jewel used to be kept was Kikyou's burial place, the sad smell of death filling up his nostrils, and the sight of bellflowers causing a stinging sensation to his eyes. If only her body hadn't been turned into ash, perhaps Tenseiga could restore her life… The present situation had rendered the healing fang useless, though, and there was nothing else the demon lord could do but mourn.

_With you - I promised that I wouldn't change  
Even if we were apart, but  
If we become memories…_

Countless moons had shone in the night sky and retreated to their dim lairs before Sesshoumaru found the strength to carry on and search for the vile creature that had dared to take his Kikyou from him. Surely, there would be hell to pay for their malign deeds, and the presently dejected lord of the Western Lands would make sure that who had so easily become his worst enemy met a world of pain before being sent right down to the crimson pits.

Little did he know his nemesis had been already taken care of.

His youkai blood boiled strongly in his veins when he at last discovered who had deprived the bellflower from her right to live. _Inuyasha._ He had snuck in just when Sesshoumaru had no means of protecting his miko, had employed such underhanded trick to strike his elder brother on the exact spot where he knew greater damage would be caused. That bastard had probably been after the sacred jewel, seeking powers his hanyou body could never bear. What he failed to understand, though, was how the godly priestess had fallen a victim of that weakling…

The upcoming news had not been a delight to his ears. Rumors had it that said miko and hanyou were far from enemies; rather, they were too close to be seen as friends only. His heart was aflame with fury, and in spite of all his fruitless attempts to calm himself down, to believe those were just mindless rumors that equally mindless villagers had been spreading, his soul could not be put at ease. What degraded lies had he told Kikyou in order to gain her trust and friendship? Furthermore, what sordid techniques had his half-brother employed as to erase all the memories of the wonderful times they had shared from the miko's mind?

That was when one late thought occurred to him. What if Inuyasha hadn't had to resort to any kind of trick, after all…? What if _she_ had chosen to be with him… _on her own will..?_

Never, he thought. Not his koishii…_his bellflower._ How could he ever doubt her? The only woman to ever genuinely love him in such way, the only one he ever had feelings for… No, it most certainly could not be. That was merely the workings of grief and sorrow slowly consuming his heart. His little brother must have made up a fallacious story, told her Sesshoumaru had just been fooling around with her, or that he had died in the battlefield…

…or maybe Kikyou had just plain grown tired of waiting for his return.

Without his company, she had probably felt lonely, sad even. Her human nature was bound to make her weak, to allow her emotions to drive her actions. Perhaps she saw in Inuyasha another chance at love, believing he would serve as a good replacement for the insensitive taiyoukai who she thought had abandoned her. Fool. Sesshoumaru was a man of his word, and he would never break the promise to return to her… Heh, perhaps her feelings hadn't been as strong as his, so he was forced out of her heart just as quickly as he had trailed his way in.

Volubility… Yet another characteristic ever so keen on humankind.

One thing made him nearly glad, though. That filthy half-breed, the miko's newfound love, had killed her with his own hands after snagging the Shikon no Tama. Ah, how much pain she must have felt when his claws tore her flesh apart, when she realized she had merely been used… The corners of his lips quirked upwards slightly, in what could only be seen as a wicked smile. He was positive she had regretted choosing his half brother, and that alone was enough to raise his spirits, even if ever so slightly.

Disgusting. He was beginning to take pleasure in knowing his beloved had endured so much suffering. Had it been any different, he would have gone out of his way just to ensure no harm would befall his dearest priestess, to protect her from any foe who tried to lay a finger on her snowy skin… Now, however, things had changed. She had betrayed him and died. Inuyasha had been sealed to the Goshinboku. The lovely moments he had spent together with his bellflower, the words of affection they had exchanged… It was all in the past now, and dwelling in those days would not be wise. Moving on was the only option left.

Gathering the remainders of his strength, a brokenhearted taiyoukai abandoned the village, a place where he had experienced a short period of happiness, without sparing even one last look at his beloved's grave. By that time, he had decided the only effective means of getting over his loss was turning his love into hatred. Hatred towards the miko, as well as humankind itself. He was aware he could not erase her from his mind or deny the effects she had had in his life, but he could hate her. Yes, he would loathe her name, despise anything that was remotely related to her… but he would _never_ forget her.

She was to remain forever alive through his bittersweet memories.

It was then that a barrier built on ice was erected around the taiyoukai's heart, and Kikyou became nothing but a tragic remembrance of earlier times. Of course, he never bothered to continue his investigations; should he have opted to do otherwise, he would have discovered the truth about the miko, and her real motives for having turned to his half-brother. The news about the incessant war in the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru's lie and Tsubaki's curse, which eventually made her fall for the silver-haired hanyou… Thankfully, those little facts never came to his knowledge, for they would have made it a lot harder for him to hate the one woman he ever loved, and overcoming the pain of losing her would have turned into an impossible task throughout the half century that had elapsed since then.

_Even memories cannot contend with  
The warmth at your side…_

Year after year, the demon lord struggled to keep his lingering feelings for Kikyou locked in the confines of his soul, but many had been the occasions when they gained new life and returned to haunt him, like on the day he met a young girl named Rin. The way she never feared him, the way she cared so deeply for him…It all reminded him of that woman. Was that why he felt compelled to bring her back from the world of the dead with the use of Tenseiga…? Was that why he had allowed the girl to follow him in his journeys? Perhaps. Truth be told, Rin had managed to somewhat thaw out his heart, but he knew that void would remain there, for it could never be entirely filled.

Then it happened.

In an attempt to lure Sesshoumaru into the holy mountain of Hakureizan, Rin had been kidnapped by one of the Shichinintai, a group of zombie-like warriors working for Naraku, the cruel hanyou trying to gather all of the shikon shards in his endless thirst for power. Caught up in his fight with the most feminine member of the gang, the silver-haired man feared for the girl's life in Suikotsu's hands, who refused to give in even after having his chest struck right through by Toukijin. Just when he thought there was no way to defeat his opponent, a powerful hama-no-ya was fired right at the other man's neck, offering Rin a chance to escape.

For a split second, golden oculars were fixed on that arrow. That kind of power was one he had only witnessed once in his long life. That girl wearing peculiar garments, that who had freed Inuyasha from his deep slumber, she held that same sort of energy, only in a much lower level. No, it most definitely had not been Kagome. Upon taking notice of who had shot that holy arrow, something inside his chest stopped beating; surely, words could not express his shock at the sight of a certain raven haired woman in priestess robes standing in the distance, bow held firmly in her lithe hand.

It could not be…_ Kikyou…?_

He watched her intently as she trudged her way past him and kneeled by the man her arrow had just struck, wondering if that was, in fact, the same miko who had sealed his half brother to a tree fifty years earlier. The same graceful movements, the same voice and scent… Yes, it was Kikyou, as he had confirmed when he felt her hopeful gaze fixed on him, moments before he left without sparing her a single word. She was dead and no longer held feelings for him; he had employed great effort in his attempts to rid himself of the memories of their time together. Yes, they would both be better off that way.

And yet, in a moment of weakness, he hesitated and glanced back at the sorrowful beauty. The idea of being face to face with his once beloved bellflower and get the answers he so longed for crossed his mind. Possibly she would tell him about the awful misunderstanding that had brought them apart in the past, and then they could retake their relationship from where it had been left off…_ Foolishness._ So feeble of him to believe their romance could be mended. Rin's voice interrupted his musings and those silly dreams were left behind as the proud taiyoukai moved forth and disappeared among the mist, not daring to speak to Kikyou.

Right now, however, he regretted never having done so.

He was there when it happened. He watched impotently as Naraku's expandable tentacles shot right towards the undead miko and pierced through her chest, forcing her down the fissure he had previously opened. Kikyou had been imprudent enough as to face the enemy on her own, and the outcome of their battle had not been very satisfying for her. As hard as he had tried to remain indifferent to her presumed death, the demon lord felt a wave of rage wash over him; he might have hated the priestess, but he would not allow anyone to take her life once again and get away with it.

He had charged against his nemesis, trusted the very core of his soul into that battle. His insides were burning with a mix of fury and renewed grief, though not for a second did his façade display any sort of emotion. Much to the great youkai's chagrin, Naraku managed to perform one of his sneaky escapes, mockingly laughing at Sesshoumaru for not being able to destroy him. He scolded at himself. Not only had he failed to defeat the hanyou fiend, but also failed to avenge Kikyou's death…

"This is terrible shouki…" As the toad creature stared down at the running river of miasma at the very bottom of the fissure, his peculiar voice made itself known in Sesshoumaru's ears, forcing him out of the outpouring of recollections he had long plunged into. "There's no way that woman survived…"

That was it. Mustering all of his self-control as to not allow foolish emotions such as hatred and sorrow to come rushing back to him, the Western prince spun on his heels and made to leave, for he had seen enough for one day. He only wished to get away from that place as soon as he could, to forget about the events his eyes had witnessed…

"Wait, Sesshoumaru!!" Inuyasha shouted before his brother could leave. When he paused in mid-step and glanced back at him, the hanyou went on, rage and distress dripping from every word he spat. "Did you stand by and watch as Kikyou was killed?" Even though it was true, Sesshoumaru would not be admitting such thing anytime soon, especially to that half-breed, so he simply chose to turn around and follow his way. "I said WAIT!" He drew out his Tetsusaiga, seeing as he would get no easy reply from his elder sibling.

"I do not want to know what your connection to that woman was," The demon lord's voice was finally heard as he made yet another pause and stared at the other man. "But the one who killed Kikyou was Naraku." It was with no little effort he pronounced her name, though his features never showed any signs of it. Feeling immensely glad to see so much angst stamped on his brother's face, he carried on in his ever so cold tone. "And, the one who was not able to save her, Inuyasha, was you."

At that moment, the lord of the Western Lands knew he had hurt Inuyasha deeper than he ever had before. The power of his cruel words was enough to outcome even that of his sword, Toukijin. They were, of course, a lie. If anyone was to be blamed for not rescuing the miko, it was Sesshoumaru himself. He had made it in time to stop Naraku from harming her, but that stubborn pride of his drove him to refrain from getting involved. Dropping all the guilt on the hanyou's shoulders, however, was a much easier option than dealing with the fact_ he_ was the one who did not protect the bellflower.

Enough. It was time to go. But first, one last impious remark. "If you have the time to snarl at me, you would do better to spend it chasing Naraku." With that said, Sesshoumaru wheeled round and walked away along with his faithful servant, their forms gradually vanishing among a mix of mist and dust as a devastated Inuyasha was left behind to mourn over his horrible loss.

As his feet guided him towards somewhere he wasn't sure of, Sesshoumaru had his mind assaulted by unsettling thoughts once more. _It was over_. If there had ever been one slight chance for him to know true happiness again, it had fallen down that cliff and died along with the priestess. He felt empty, lonely and, before realization could dawn upon him, he found himself praying that, someday, they would be reunited. Yes, his love for the miko was never truly gone from his heart; it had been carefully buried in a safe place, but the latest events had dragged it out.

One deep breath was taken. Lamenting was of no use, for it could not erase the past or undo what had gone wrong. Once again, he was to gather all his might and move on with his own life, to forger that there had been a time when a simple human wench had earned his trust and affections and that he had ever considered the idea of abandoning his vicious nature and youkai ways just so he would be fit to live by her side… Oh, how stupid he had been back then.

_So a wistful sigh unerringly welled forth  
May it take flight and go so far  
That it reaches you…_

For a brief moment, the taiyoukai felt a strange presence roaming above his head. His burning golden oculars darted upwards as to check what creatures had dared to approach him when his mood was bordering sinister and unlikely to spare lives. One look at their long, snake-like bodies was enough for him to recognize that kind of youkai as Shinidama Chuu. Not too long ago, he had seen one of those soul-snatchers follow Kikyou to her poisonous grave, so he assumed his unexpected, if temporary companions were also looking for their mistress. Little did they know their search was faded to fail.

A deceptively low sigh escaped Sesshoumaru's lips when his keen sense of smell got a slight whiff of the priestess's scent when those serpent-like beasts brushed right past him. It would be the last time he would have his nostrils filled with that sweet fragrance, the last time he would have a memento of his bellflower, so he might as well take off his mask of indifference and be true to his feelings, just this once. Perhaps that would lessen the guilt-ridden burden he was forced to bear.

Memories. So many of them. Just when Sesshoumaru freed his spirit from the hateful strings keeping such recollections locked, they engulfed him in a forceful wave, scenarios playing in the back of his mind with such richness of details that, for one split second, he thought he had traveled back in time.

Long locks of ebony hair performed a graceful dance in the wind, eventually coming to brush against her pale complexion as though laying a gentle caress. The heavenly beauty sat under the tallest sakura tree in the area, the very spot they had arranged for their evening meetings. Angelic features lightened up when her earth-brown hues caught sight of the demon prince and a radiant smile made itself known in her face. She welcomed her lover in her arms, showered him with kisses and spoiled him with enormous amounts of tenderness. Ah, those moments were always something to look forward to.

The night they parted had been much like the same, only he had felt a lot sadder than he usually would when it was time to say goodbye. He never got to bid her farewell, however. _'Set your heart at rest, dearest miko. It should not take longer than three days. I shall return before you even have a chance to miss me.'_ Those were the last words he had ever told the raven-haired woman, along with his broken promise to meet her again soon enough.

He then recalled one minor detail that had escaped his knowledge upon that occasion. The bellflower's already cheerless eyes nearly overflowed with sorrow when he addressed her as_ miko_; countless had been the times when she asked him to drop those needless formalities and simply call her by her name, but he had refused to do so until she was no longer a shrine maiden and became his. Feeling his chest grow heavier by the second, the proud youkai with star-painted mane now wished he had granted his former lover that simple whim of hers.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…?" A hesitant Jaken called tentatively, seeing as his master had been immobile for several moments, lost in his own musings. Sparing a very brief glance at his servant, Sesshoumaru resumed his pace, striding his way out of the accursed Hakureizan in all his glory.

Not for a second could he get rid of Kikyou's voice ringing inside his mind, though, pleading him to use her name for once; it had been her dream to become an ordinary woman so she could live by her beloved's side, and having him constantly call her _miko_ only reminded the tragic priestess of her sad reality. But it was too late. They were two worlds apart now, and her wish could no longer become true…

Wrong. Death had released her from the burden of guarding the Shikon no Tama, and her soul was much more free to feel emotions than it had ever been when she still belonged in the living realm. She was no longer that holy priestess people looked up to as though she had the power to solve all their troubles; she was simply Kikyou, a woman who longed to love and have her feelings returned.

Never taking a pause from his walk so Jaken would not disturb him yet again, the lord of the Western Lands allowed his horizon golden eyes to stare at the ash-gray skies above, hints of a genuinely melancholy smile playing on his lips. It was only fair that he could repay her for all the happy moments she had brought him, even if their romance had ended in such way. His long lashes batted closed for a moment and he plunged into deep focus, as though his very life depended on it.

_'Sayonara… My beloved Kikyou.'_

With yet another soft sigh, the demon prince hoped his silent prayer could reach the bellflower wherever heavenly places the gods might have assigned for her eternal rest, redirecting his attention back to the long, solitary path lying ahead.

-- Owari --

**Author's Notes: **I was bored one day, and after watching episode 124 over and over, I came up with this story. Eventually, I got the urge to abandon it - being the sucker for happy endings I am, it was hard for me to continue working on this fanfic when I realized it couldn't have one - but my friends wouldn't let me give it up, so I finished it. That's why the story kinda drags from a certain point on, so please, be kind in your flames. u.u;

Ah well. At least it's a new Sessh/Kiky ficceh for the avid fans to read - and let's face it, there's just not enough of those. And I guess fans of angsty stuff might actually like it, after all. o.o

Thanks for reading my work! :D Ja ne!

--Ruby


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